This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice.*

Dogs and Digestion

Dog digestive enzymes are produced in the dog's pancreas and salivary glands and help to break down the protein, carbohydrate, and fat components of food for use by the dog's body. Like us, as dogs age, the production of these digestive enzymes often slows down.

In nature dogs ate raw food, but as they've become domesticated, they have become accustomed to eating more like us -- eating foods that may be convenient and may taste delicious, but are often cooked, processed, preserved and not always nutritious. Cooking destroys the natural enzymes in food that help it be digested in digestive systems so that then nutritional content of food, such as vitamins and minerals, can be utilized by the body.

Enzyme deficiencies can be age-related or genetically-related. In the case of genetically-related enzyme deficiencies, and symptoms will often show up among kittens and puppies.

Dog Digestive Enzyme Deficiency

Symptoms of enzyme deficiency in dogs include: Dogs who eat their own stool, dogs that produce voluminous stool, stools in which undigested fat is clearly visible and dogs who are overtly underweight despite eating large amounts of food.

Dog Gas - Bloat

Enzyme deficiency and excess gas or genetic predisposition in dogs can also cause a life-threatening condition in dogs called "bloat" ("Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus" or "GDV") in which gas builds up in the dog’s stomach because he is unable to expel gas through the normal process of belching, flatulence or vomiting. This occurs more frequently in dogs that are deep-chested. Bloat can also be caused by dogs who gulp their food or who eat food from an elevated bowl. When bloat occurs, the excess gas causes the stomach to dilate, expand and flip itself. Bloat from excessive gas in dogs is reported to be the second leading cause of death in dogs, second only to cancer. If it occurs in your dog, it is very serious and should be treated immediately. What you should know about dog bloat.

For a dog that is: 1) getting on in age, 2) is genetically predisposed to bloat (has a deep, more narrow chest than other dogs his breed and/or has a relative who had bloat), 3) is a large dog or 4) is a dog who gulps his food, an enzyme supplement created for dogs can be very helpful in preventing excessive gas and the “bloat”.

Dog Digestive Enzymes

Dog digestive enzymes, by helping improve the overall utilization of the food your dog Is eating, may improve your dog’s general health and immunity. Research shows a strong connection between enzyme deficiencies in dogs and both acute and chronic diseases.

Dog Digestive Enzymes Supplementation Benefits

Digestive Enzymes for dogs can: 1) Help protect your dog from suffering and possibly dying from “bloat”, 2)Help reduce inflammation of the joints, and 3)Help resolve dog allergies.

In fact, for dogs, especially larger dogs, who have chronic problems with their joints, especially larger breeds, dog enzymes can make a huge difference in their quality of life. Digestive enzymes have also been reported to almost completely resolve dog allergies.

If you feel your dog is at risk for getting bloat, consider keeping a product that contains simethicone (Phazyme, Gas-X, etc.) on hand to treat gas symptoms. Some dog owners have reported relief of gas symptoms with ½ tsp of nutmeg or the homeopathic remedy Nux Moschata 30x. Some dog owners who feel their pet may be at risk of developing bloat feed their pet 1-2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera with each meal. Aloe Vera is reported to reduce gas.

When giving your dog digestive enzymes, it is best to choose a reliable source that offers as broad a range of enzymes as possible.